Rush Part 1

Ariel ran as fast as she could. They were gaining on her, and so was her guilty conscience. Adrenaline was fueling her legs to continue. Amazed at her speed, Ariel kept on.
“Ariel! Ariel!” They shouted. “Wake up!”
She began slowing down until she stopped completely. 
“What..?” 
“Wake up! Can you hear me? Wake-”
Ariel gasped for air. Her vision began to focus. She was surrounded by nurses and other patients in the institution. 
“Ariel! Are you okay?” Martha’s concerned face hovered a bit too close to Ariel for comfort.
“Yes, yes..I’m okay. What happened? Why are you all…” 
She gestured to everyone in the room.
“You started screaming about being taken.” Martha promptly stated. “You were ugly crying and gasping for air, so I panicked and got the nurses. The noise woke everyone up, so that’s why they’re all adjacently watching.”
“Okay. Well, I’m fine now so-”
“Ariel. Your mother is on the phone.”

Ariel was helped out of bed to the phones.
“...Mom?”
“Ariel? Is that you?”
“Yes,” Ariel sighed in relief. “Yes it’s me. Um…I was w-”
“Listen. We’re real tight on money right now because of your treatment. Stop having an episode, or come home now. We don’t have the means to keep you in that looney bin any longer. You hear me? We’re-”
Ariel dropped the phone and left her mom on the call. 
“Ariel? Are you okay?” Martha grabbed her by the wrist.
“Yeah. I’m going home.” 
But Ariel knew Martha had heard the lie in those words.